Malta just keeps on giving. This report is from my second visit out there this Autumn and I still have dozens of leads to follow up on. I think a third trip is in order. Anyways visited this one with @The devil child
Firstly thanks to @Oxygen Thief, whose lead this is. Difficult to find any history to this place, so hoping that OT will come along and add in the history.
HISTORY
Situated within the the site of RAF Siggiewi, this bunker was used by RAF 840 Signals Unit, said to have been decommissioned in the 1960s. Seems to have been used as a Malta police store until the late 1990s.
What I have seen on the interweb...
RAF Siggiewi was originally built on or about the 1st of May 1919 when the first shore-based radio communication with the UK from Malta was set up at Rinella. Contrary to some views, there never was a runway attached to Siggiewi, and I believe that some of the confusion could be over Qrendi which is nearby. As a signals centre it was an important link in the chain of radio stations stretching from the UK to the Far East, with RAF Habbaniya (Iraq) being the next major station on the "net". Like many of the military installations on Malta, the main complex (operations centre) was mostly underground and as mentioned previously, there was a satellite HF/DF station within walking distance of the camp, located on the road heading out toward Siggiewi. This came under the command and control of Luqa and was one of the many HF/DF stations (call sign MT) ranged throughout the Middle-East. El-Adem, (Libya) and Abu Sueir, (Egypt) were part of the original chain.
The photograph below was taken from a helicopter in 1959 and clearly shows the camp pretty much the way it is today, with the tennis courts behind the main barrack block and the single floor building housing the NAAFI and men's mess, with rec; facilities. The 7 Quonset/Nissan huts on the right of this picture and the guard room have since been removed, so have the two huts at the end of the Barrack block. This location is now used by the Maltese police and for several reasons, casual visitors are not invited. I am pleased to say that the rumour about the camp being demolished to make way for a new Police Academy is incorrect. Only a few minor buildings toward the back of the camp are being pulled down, while the main section will remain in place as it has been designated as a "Heritage site".
THE EXPLORE
Not an easy explore at all. The Maltese Police Academy is the building next door. At times we were within a couple of metres of them. Very unnerving creeping around in sight of a car park full of police vehicles (we did get acquainted with the Maltese Police later that day at another site but that's a story for another report which will go up shortly).
Disused antenna towers, unfortunately the ladders have been removed which ruled out climbing possibilities.
Entering the first bunker that we found
Unfortunately it consisted of just 2 large caverns, and totally empty. As numbered bays were marked on the walls, assuming this have been used for storage.
Heading closer to the Police Academy we found another bunker
The entrance slope
And six large underground rooms
Emblem of RAF 840 Signals Unit on a door
and what it suppose to look like...
Nice mural painted on the wall. This picture is so not Malta - it shows trees and a lake!
And on a window...
Assorted goodies lying around
Power room:
Police targets:
Exit at the back of the bunker (we didnt go up, it would have taken us into the Police Academy)
On the surface we found store rooms, one of which was filled with logbooks and police riot gear.
Gas mask canisters... there were hundreds of them
This logbook is written in Maltese but I have since had it translated. It says "At the time and date stated, two idiots with English accents were observed creeping around. They were seen to don police riot gear whilst giggling like schoolgirls. At this point I released the dogs. Report ends."
Thanks for reading
Firstly thanks to @Oxygen Thief, whose lead this is. Difficult to find any history to this place, so hoping that OT will come along and add in the history.
HISTORY
Situated within the the site of RAF Siggiewi, this bunker was used by RAF 840 Signals Unit, said to have been decommissioned in the 1960s. Seems to have been used as a Malta police store until the late 1990s.
What I have seen on the interweb...
RAF Siggiewi was originally built on or about the 1st of May 1919 when the first shore-based radio communication with the UK from Malta was set up at Rinella. Contrary to some views, there never was a runway attached to Siggiewi, and I believe that some of the confusion could be over Qrendi which is nearby. As a signals centre it was an important link in the chain of radio stations stretching from the UK to the Far East, with RAF Habbaniya (Iraq) being the next major station on the "net". Like many of the military installations on Malta, the main complex (operations centre) was mostly underground and as mentioned previously, there was a satellite HF/DF station within walking distance of the camp, located on the road heading out toward Siggiewi. This came under the command and control of Luqa and was one of the many HF/DF stations (call sign MT) ranged throughout the Middle-East. El-Adem, (Libya) and Abu Sueir, (Egypt) were part of the original chain.
The photograph below was taken from a helicopter in 1959 and clearly shows the camp pretty much the way it is today, with the tennis courts behind the main barrack block and the single floor building housing the NAAFI and men's mess, with rec; facilities. The 7 Quonset/Nissan huts on the right of this picture and the guard room have since been removed, so have the two huts at the end of the Barrack block. This location is now used by the Maltese police and for several reasons, casual visitors are not invited. I am pleased to say that the rumour about the camp being demolished to make way for a new Police Academy is incorrect. Only a few minor buildings toward the back of the camp are being pulled down, while the main section will remain in place as it has been designated as a "Heritage site".
THE EXPLORE
Not an easy explore at all. The Maltese Police Academy is the building next door. At times we were within a couple of metres of them. Very unnerving creeping around in sight of a car park full of police vehicles (we did get acquainted with the Maltese Police later that day at another site but that's a story for another report which will go up shortly).
Disused antenna towers, unfortunately the ladders have been removed which ruled out climbing possibilities.
Entering the first bunker that we found
Unfortunately it consisted of just 2 large caverns, and totally empty. As numbered bays were marked on the walls, assuming this have been used for storage.
Heading closer to the Police Academy we found another bunker
The entrance slope
And six large underground rooms
Emblem of RAF 840 Signals Unit on a door
and what it suppose to look like...
Nice mural painted on the wall. This picture is so not Malta - it shows trees and a lake!
And on a window...
Assorted goodies lying around
Power room:
Police targets:
Exit at the back of the bunker (we didnt go up, it would have taken us into the Police Academy)
On the surface we found store rooms, one of which was filled with logbooks and police riot gear.
Gas mask canisters... there were hundreds of them
This logbook is written in Maltese but I have since had it translated. It says "At the time and date stated, two idiots with English accents were observed creeping around. They were seen to don police riot gear whilst giggling like schoolgirls. At this point I released the dogs. Report ends."
Thanks for reading
i will get my reports up soon
She, and the kids, were not impressed by that at all
